ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · current · stand · mine · file · lie · bound · swing

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. swing — music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bound — obliged
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a document
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. current — happening now
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. swing — to play on
  13. current — electric
  14. file — a tool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. current — of water
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com